Femto cells—building-based wireless access points interfaced with a wired broadband network—are generally deployed to improve indoor wireless coverage, and to offload a mobility radio access network (RAN) operated by a wireless service provider. Improved indoor coverage includes stronger signal and improved reception (e.g., voice or sound), ease of session or call initiation and session or call retention as well. Offloading RAN reduces operational and transport costs for the service provider.
Coverage of a femto cell, or femto AP, is intended to be confined within the bounds of an indoor compound, in order to mitigate interference among mobile stations covered by a macro cell and terminals covered by the femto AP. Additionally, confined coverage can reduce cross-talk among terminals serviced by disparate, neighboring femto cells as well. Femto cells typically operate in licensed portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, and generally offer plug-and-play installation.
Coverage improvements via femtocells also can mitigate customer attrition as long as a favorable subscriber perception regarding voice coverage and other data services with substantive delay sensitivity is attained. In addition, a richer variety of wireless voice and data services can be offered to customers via a femto cell since such service offerings do not rely primarily on the mobility RAN resources. Therefore, a positive, rich customer experience can depend substantially on adequate femto cell service provided by the network operator.